A Decision Made in War
by xxEternityxx
Summary: AU/AH. Damon/Elena. Elena Gilbert is a reporter who is told to write a story about the life of Marines when they're on base. She meets Marine Stefan Salvatore and they fall in love but things get complicated when she meets his brother Damon for an interview. A story about tough choices and the road to love through war and adversity.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I do not own The Vampire Diaries or the characters. Unfortunately. They belong to CW.

Prologue: 

I take a deep breath, square my shoulders and walk into my boss' office. Carol is fifteen years older than me and is known as "The Terminator" to everyone who works for her. She is extremely competent but tough as nails towards those who show even the slightest amount of incompetence. She has fired more people than any other editor who has worked here at the Tribune and doesn't do it kindly. In her opinion, if you can't do your job and hand articles in on time, then she won't do you any favours by being polite.

_Only fair, I suppose._

We've got along fine for the past two years I've been working here and this is the first time she has ever called me into her office. As far as I know, I haven't done anything wrong, having even handed my last article in a day early.

She's talking on the phone and doesn't look up as I walk in. As always, she is the picture of professionalism. She has her brown hair tied back in its usual bun and is wearing her favourite black suit.

"Yes, I am aware that you want… I can assure you, you will not be portrayed negatively, we merely wish to write about your point of view on the matter." She rolls her eyes and gestures for me to sit down. "We have the utmost respect for you here at the Tribune. All right, thank you very much. We will be in touch soon." She put the phone down and muttered, "Idiots. They expect to be written about as heroes when really, they're just middle-class uptight twits who can't be bothered to lift a finger to help another without expecting something in return."

_Why don't you say what you really think? _I want to snort but I'll avoid getting on Carol's bad side, having done a good job of it so far.

Her brown eyes finally look up. "Sorry about that, Elena. How are you?"

"Um, I'm fine, Carol," I reply hesitantly. She doesn't seem mad, not with me anyway. I wonder what she wants.

"Good, I'm glad. I called you in here because I want to talk about your recent work." She opens a drawer from a filing cabinet, brings out a folder and opens it, flicking through the pages. I can see all the articles I've written for the newspaper since I got the job.

"Is something wrong with it?" I read it through seven times, did I miss something?

"No, quite the opposite actually. I think you have potential. You've worked here for three years now and your work has greatly improved since you were offered a place here. I already saw promise in you when you started your work experience here and I would like to see what you could do with a bigger story." She smiles at me.

She's clearly expecting a reply but I'm pretty sure my jaw just hit something, like the floor. Of the lobby. Thirty-four stories down. I was _extremely_ lucky to have been offered a place after graduating from college, but to be given a big story after only two years?

"I would love that, of course. But may I ask why you're willing to give me a story so soon? Two years is nothing in the journalistic world, even if you think I have potential."

She looks at me, her gaze unwavering. "Do you know how many people I had to choose from for this particular piece? Hundreds. I chose _you_ because I know you'll do your best to produce a good piece. Journalists aren't _made_, no one learns to write without a basic talent for it. I'm giving you an opportunity here but maybe I need to give it to someone else?"

"No!" I shout. "I'll do it. Thank you." I smile.

"Much better." She smirks back at me. "You fly out the day after tomorrow."

"Where to?" _Please let it be somewhere warm, please let it be somewhere warm, _I mentally cross my fingers.

"To Nevada. You're going to be writing about the lives of marines when they're at base camp and when they're out on active duty." She takes out another file and leafs through it as she talks.

"How long do I have to work on this story?"

"Two months. You're going to be speaking to a few soldiers but the one who will be your liaison, so to speak, will be Marine Stefan Salvatore. He will be showing you around and you will be interviewing him for the story." She hands me the file and sits back, crossing her arms.

I skim through the pages, seeing my travel details, information about the base, the marine I will be interviewing and some ideas for the article.

"Okay. Thanks again, Carol." I stand up and prepare to leave her office.

"Elena?"

I turn around. "Yes?"

"Good luck."

_Why do I feel like I'm going to need it?_

**_This is my first story so forgive any errors. Let me know what you think, whether it's by favoriting or reviewing. I'd love to know how I could improve my work :) _**

**_~xxEternityxx._**


	2. Arrival At Base

**Disclaimer: **

**I still do not own any of the characters. Sigh. I do own a TVD calendar though, which lets me stare at Damon all I want, which is good enough for me! **

The two days pass quickly and before I know it, I'm at Chicago Midway International airport.

I hand my flight ticket to the stewardess and board the plane to Nevada to work on my first big story. I sit down and read the file for what has to be the thousandth time in the past 48 hours and spend the duration of the flight preparing myself for what's going to happen over the next two months.

First I'm going to be picked up at the airport by the Colonel and transported to the base where I will then meet Marine Stefan Salvatore. I know that he's a lance corporal and is highly respected. He's one year younger than I am and has been enlisted for six years.

_So, since he was eighteen, then. That's young._ I look out of the window and frown. _ I wonder if his family had anything to do with it? _I go over the page with the details of his family history.

His father, Giuseppe, is a former marine who was honourably discharged due to injuries sustained in the field and he met his wife as they were both working together on another base. The wife, Maria, was working there as a secretary. They have two sons, Stefan and Damon, as well as a daughter, Rose. Rose works as a stewardess and the older brother, Damon, is a businessman.

I blink and look at the page again. Damon Salvatore? The name sounds familiar. I fidget, flipping my brown hair over my shoulder and drumming my fingers along the armrest on my left. I try to remember where I've heard the name before, just as my gaze settles on the gossip magazine the woman next to me is holding on her lap.

_Hang on, is Stefan's brother _the_ Damon Salvatore? Chicago's most eligible bachelor? _My eyes widen_. This should be interesting._

The seatbelt sign turns on and the pilot announces on the speaker that we are going to land soon. I lean back and take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves.

_Come on Elena, you can do this. It'll be fine. It's just another story. Just the first big story of your career. Ok, not helping. _

The landing goes smoothly and after getting my luggage, I walk through the doors towards the exit. I see a middle-aged man in a marine uniform holding a board with my name on and head towards him.

"Hello." I greet him.

"Mrs Gilbert?"

I smile. "Ms Gilbert, not Mrs; And yes, that's me. But please call me Elena."

"Hello, Elena. I'm Colonel John Martins." He smiles back, tipping his hat to me and revealing a full head of blonde-grey hair.

My eyebrows raise. _Not exactly the stiff 'welcome' I was expecting. Maybe this'll be easier than I thought. _

"I will be explaining things to you on the way to the base and then, once we've arrived, it will be Lance Corporal Salvatore who will be answering your questions. I do ask that you remain discreet about what happens there, other than the topic we have been informed you are writing about."

I nod. "I assure you Colonel Martins, I will not write about anything other than what has been previously discussed. We will also be giving you a draft copy of what's going to be printed, and you can contact us with anything you would like us to remove from the article. "

_There, that sounded nice and professional. Maybe I can impress him and all the other soldiers with my massive reporter skills. I think my brain's checked out on me. Hopefully it'll come back soon._

He nods, "Thank you. We're naturally cautious, as we do have people who would like to gather intel on us and we would rather like to avoid that, you understand."

_Well, what a surprise, given recent times. _

By this point, we've gotten into the car and are now speeding towards the base.

"So Elena, how long have you been writing for the Tribune?" His blue eyes flicker towards me as he drives the car. "You look younger than I expected, so I'm curious as to how much experience you have with this kind of occupation."

"I've been working there for about two years. I got a job there as an intern and they decided to hire me after a performance review." I say, with a hint of pride in my voice. Yeah, I'm definitely never going to get over that.

"You must be a good reporter, that doesn't happen often, does it?" He raises an eyebrow.

"No, it doesn't. How do you know that?"

His smile seems sad somehow. "My daughter was also a reporter."

_Hmm, I'm sensing there's a story behind this._

"Was?"

His eyes move in my direction once again.

"Yes, _was_. You picked up on that, huh?"

"I like to think I'm good at my job." I shrug.

"Well, that is a story I'd rather not tell, if you don't mind awfully much."

_Hmm. Interesting. _

"Of course not, I was just curious. Sort of goes with the territory, you know?" I wink at him.

He laughs, more at ease after my off-handed comment.

"Yes, I suppose so. May I ask why you became a reporter, Elena?"

_Should have seen that coming, I suppose. So much for my 'skills.'"_

"Well, that is a story I'd rather not tell, if you don't mind awfully much." I smirk.

"I guess that's only fair." He laughs.

For the rest of the trip, we chat casually, talking about his life as a marine and my life while I grew up.

_Movies always make generals and high ranking officers seem so uptight and unpleasant. This is a nice surprise. I wonder if all the marines on base will be like this. _

After a short while, we arrive at the base. I look around and ask Colonel Martins if he has problems with me taking photographs.

"It's fine, as long as they're general images, and don't show anything confidential. However, the topic your story covers exempts you from seeing any such thing so there's nothing to worry about. The photos will be in the draft you send in?" He questions.

"Yes, of course."

"Then there shouldn't be any problems."

I snap a few quick photos of the base and some of the marines training on a training field.

_They make my weekly gym visits seem like nothing._

The Colonel leads me through the base to a small building situated not too far from the entrance.

We walk up to the second floor, where he opens a door to a decent sized bedroom.

"These will be your accommodations during your stay at this base. I hope they are satisfactory."

There's a single bed, a bedside table on its left, a desk and chair situated by a window that oversees all the grounds as well as a closet.

I smile at him. "They're just fine."

"I'm glad. I'll take you to meet Lance Corporal Salvatore. He's currently training but I'll tell him to stop for the day so he can show you around and answer whatever questions you have at this moment in time. I believe that was the agreement?"

"Yes, that's fine. Are you sure it isn't a problem for him to be removed from training?"

I grab my pen and notepad and put my camera in my pocket as we leave the building and head towards the training field.

"Lance Corporal Salvatore trains two hours more than most of the men on this base and he shows remarkable potential. It is for this reason that he was selected to be your guide. He is therefore allowed to diminish his hours."

I blink. _Wow, he's probably going to be one of those arrogant soldiers who follows every command to the letter. Fun._

We reach the training field and I look around at the soldiers. I have a great deal of respect for them as some may have wives, children, families but they choose to be here, willing to serve their country and die for it. I've never been a true patriot but seeing all these men training and pushing themselves to be the best they can does give me a sense of awe.

"Salvatore! You're done for the day." Colonel Martins shouts.

One of the marines, Stefan Salvatore, I presume, stops mid-run and walks towards us.

_Oh. My. Freaking. God. _

One of the hottest men I have ever seen heads towards us and stops, lifting his right hand towards his brown hair, giving the colonel a salute which he returns.

"Lance Corporal, this is the reporter you were informed about. Meet Elena Gilbert. You will be showing her around the base and answering her questions today." The corporal walks off, tipping his hat to me as he did earlier today at the airport.

"I'll see you around Ms Gilbert. Have a nice day." He walks away.

Stefan Salvatore's green eyes - _Emerald? Forest? Moss? What colour are they? Oh God. My brain clearly thinks I am now twelve - _shift towards me and he smiles gently, extending his hand. These marines… All so polite.

"Hello Ms Gilbert. I'm Stefan Salvatore, but please just call me by my first name, Stefan."

"Likewise."

He blinks and suddenly I realise what I just said.

"Uh, c-c-call me Elena I mean, not Stefan, obviously, I mean, that's your name. I'm obviously not called Stefan, uh, I mean, yeah call me by my first name, Elena…" _Stop talking now. And go find something to help with the word vomit, _my brain screams at me.

Stefan is clearly amused. Crap. "Okay, Elena. Well, let's show you around shall we?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

**A/N: **

**First of all, wow! Thank you so much for the reviews and adds! I am so happy you all liked "A Decision Made in War" :D **

**Shout-out to ShayShay305, MonstersInTheEnd, elena prada, elchiquituto and haleycX as well as anyone else who enjoyed it. Hope you're all happy with this chapter!**

**Well, now we've met Stefan. Next chapter, we're going to follow Elena and Stefan on the tour of the base and learn more about them. Don't worry Delena fans, it starts off as a Stefan/Elena story but we meet Damon soon, which is when things get complicated! It is still a Delena story. **

**I hope you liked this chapter! Review and let me know what you thought. I'll give a virtual Damon to all reviewers ;) Any advice is appreciated as I am fairly unused to writing humor and full length stories.**

**Till the next update (which will be as soon as possible, this one was fast as most of it was written before the prologue was posted). **

**~xxEternityxx.**


	3. First Interview With Stefan

**Disclaimer: I still do not own The Vampire Diaries. I do however own this story and a small stuffed kangaroo toy which I got from my best friend. J.T. is not quite Damon but at least he's soft and furry. Yeah, I don't think I'll ever grow up. **

**Here's the next chapter, sorry it took a while. I had to figure out how exactly I wanted the whole first Stelena interaction to go. I'm unsure about this chapter but it's from this point on that the story will speed up. I'd say we'll meet Damon in about 2 or 3 chapters, if not sooner! The next chapter will probably take place a few months later, so I might be skipping ahead and showing how their relationship has progressed over the course of a few months.**

Stefan and I head towards one of the largest buildings on base, which he explains is the mess hall. It's late in the afternoon which is why there aren't any soldiers there as they are, presumably, all training.

I look around at the tables set up in neat, ordered lines. The room reminds me of school dining halls with the serving areas at the end of the room, where dinner ladies hand out the meals.

_I wonder what the food is like. _I scrunch my nose a little.

"The food is pretty decent, nothing like our cooking back home of course, but still decent." Stefan says, correctly guessing what I was thinking.

We walk out again and head towards yet another building.

"This is where we have our courses."

"Courses?"

"Yes, we learn about military tactics, we discuss what is going on around the world and what our missions could be next time we're shipped off. We do that for a couple of hours a day." Stefan shrugs.

"Wow! How do you fit that in amongst all your training?" I ask.

We walk into one of the empty rooms.

"Well, we get up at 0500 hours every morning, so 5am, and then we do an hour or training, followed by an hour of breakfast. At half past seven, we spend two hours in here, then we get back to training. We have about three to four hours of courses a day, and apart from an hour for breakfast, an hour for lunch and time to sleep at night, the rest of the time is spent training. We do however get an hour of free time before lights out." He explains calmly.

_Holy crap! Yeah, I really need to stop complaining about going to the gym. How does this not faze him? Well, I guess he's had time to get used to it. _

"Does everyone find it as easy as you to adapt to this kind of life? All those hours of training, the lack of free time?"

_I know I couldn't._

"Well, no. Some guys can't hack it and they decide to stop training and instead, they work on base or quit altogether, which is complicated as you sign up and you're supposed to complete training but if you're declared unable, then it works out. The hardest for the guys I think is not being able to see their families."

I can only imagine what it would be like not being able to see my family.

"How much time do you spend away from your families? How often can you visit them?"

"It depends. When we're on base, the time spent away from our families and friends can be a few months, maybe a year. If we're… _away_, however, it can be up to two years at a time."

"Do families sometimes live on base with the Marines?"

He sighs. "Sometimes. The problem is that not many of the Marines like their girlfriends, wives, children exposed to all _this_. If they're back home, they're protected from everything _this_ represents. To us, it's a cause we need to fight for, for them it's a reminder they might never see us again. Besides, having them here could put them at risk. You never know what could happen, every military base is at risk." He gestures towards the training field and buildings.

That fact saddens me even more. It seems like the amount of respect I feel for these men and women just keeps increasing.

_How can people not think about this? How is it possible these people aren't spoken about more? War is mentioned freely but few stop to think about the people putting their lives at risk to keep them safe, at the expense of everything they have. _

I shake my head. Stefan turns his head towards me and adds, "We do get used to it. It's tough but we get used to it."

I keep taking notes but rather than just writing blindly, I find myself listening to what he's saying with interest. I often get, not bored, but distracted listening to some of the people I interview as most of them just enjoy the attention they get from being interviewed and having a story written about them. Stefan however, seems to actually be putting his story in the background, choosing instead to focus on the bigger picture.

_How noble of him. _

"Do you have a girlfriend back home?" _Subtle, Elena. _Yep, my inner monologue just snorted at me. I didn't even know it could do that.

"No, just my parents and my siblings. I've been in the Marine Corps a while and while I'm not a hermit, it hasn't really allowed me to meet girls. We have a distinct lack of them here." He grins at me.

"I can imagine." I smirk at him but quickly get serious again. "Do you mind that you spend a lot of your time around the same people? Do you not miss being around everyone else back home? You don't get lonely with only your fellow Marines to keep you company?"

I cannot imagine being around the same people for months at a time, with no way to distance myself from them. How can they stand being in such close proximity to each other?

"Well, we're all pretty tight here. We know we need to have each other's backs and that feeling allows us to be pretty good friends. We occasionally get irritable but then we train a bit and work off our frustration."

I look at his pretty muscled torso and arms and raise an eyebrow. He takes a look at me and bursts out laughing.

"Let me guess, you're thinking something along the lines of 'Wow, he must be frustrated.'"

I smirk. "Well, if the muscles fit…"

He shakes his head from side to side gently, still chuckling. "I train as often as I can as I want to be able to take care of my men out there, should we be sent off anytime soon. They rely on me and I don't want a lack of training or strength to let them down. Plus, it comes in handy when I have to open up jars for my mom when I visit her."

At this point, both of us are laughing. Stefan seems like a genuinely nice person; despite his clear desire to be the best he can out in the field, he seems very down to earth. This trip is a pleasant surprise from the rigid and disciplinarian environment I expected.

As focused as the Marines are here, with their strict training and hours, those I've met whilst being guided around the base with Stefan, as well as him and the Colonel, give off an air of calmness, tranquillity. Stefan truly seems to be born to be a Marine. He seems comfortable in his place in life.

"How often do _you_ go back and see your family?"

"I go back every few months but sometimes, I decide to stay here instead of going back."

_What? He only gets an opportunity to see them every few months but instead, he decides to stay here? _

"Why not go and see your family?"

He sighs. "I love going to see my mom and dad as well as my sister but I also don't want to be unprepared. I do want to go see them but an attack could come at any time. I don't want to go home, maybe get out of shape and risk being caught unawares."

_That sounds rather selfless. And why didn't he mention his brother? Maybe there are some issues between them. I'm looking forward to interviewing Damon now. The reporter side of me is unashamedly curious at this point._

"Do you ever…" _How to phrase this properly? _"Do you ever feel like you're giving too much up?"

"Do I feel like I'm sacrificing too much, you mean?" He tilts his head to the side, as if confused.

"Well, yes. You say that you don't get to see your family as often as you'd like as you prefer to spend your time preparing for something that may never happen. You don't get a chance to get a girlfriend, a wife. You don't get to have a family of your own. To me, that seems like a hard choice to make."

"It isn't easy, per se, but I've always wanted to be a Marine, ever since I heard my father speak of it. When I joined, I knew it was the best decision I had ever made. As sad as it may be that I don't get to see my family all that often, I can sleep easy knowing I'm doing my job. I'm preparing for any eventuality and if one day something _does _happen, I don't have to worry. I can just face it head on. It's 2001, you never know what lies ahead." He shrugs, as if this is just absolutely _normal_ for someone to understand.

We stop in the middle of a small empty field where there are a few tables set up to the side. I think it's a firing range, judging by the targets I've just noticed.

"Besides, Elena."

"Yes?"

"I have yet to see something that shows I'm making a bad choice staying here." He turns fully towards me. "And what I'm looking at now only proves that I made a good choice."

We look at each other for a few moments and he bows a little, ending the moment.

"It's getting late. Shall I escort you to your quarters?"

"Umm, sure. That'd be great."

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you to all the new people who have added/reviewed this story! It's so nice to get feedback, positive or negative. **

**I also wanted to ask, shall I make the chapters shorter and update faster or keep up the slightly longer chapters and update every week or so? **

**Let me know what you thought in a review. This is a work in progress and I am truly grateful for any kind of feedback. Reviews motivate me! So you see that review button? Click it. Free virtual peanut butter cookie for all reviewers. For those allergic to them, free lollipop instead ;) **


	4. First Meeting with Damon

**Disclaimer: I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. Probably never will. I do own a keyring of a sheep. It's kinda cute. **

**This chapter is especially for one of my best friends and favourite people, Solie you are awesome, never think otherwise **** His music is seriously good. One person asked if I listened to music while I wrote, well his songs are really good-please like his page. His music is a true inspiration. Facebook: **pages/Solie-Osman/185203928288567?fref=ts

Two months later:

Stefan and I have been together for about three months now.

After having stayed at the base for a while and having spent so much time together, we realised we both had started to have feelings for each other, so Stefan moved to Chicago with me and has settled at a base here instead. We're now living together and enjoying our time together. His family is happy because it means he spends more time seeing them though he still hasn't lost that sense of duty which means he often stays at the base for days on end. He doesn't stay there almost full time like he used to though, so that's a definite improvement.

I'm finishing my article and the only thing left is to interview Stefan's brother, Damon. I'm slightly nervous as I have yet to meet him. Damon seems to spend little time with his family as well, though he isn't mentioned often at the Salvatore household.

I met Stefan's family recently and his dad seems to approve of me, as I don't want to discourage Stefan from his duties as a Marine. Maria, Stefan and Damon's mother, is nice towards me but appears to be slightly more guarded than Giuseppe.

_Flashback:_

_Stefan and I step out of the car and I look up at the house anxiously. I've never really had a whole "meet the parents" experience before and Stefan's dad is a former Marine, which makes me slightly nervous, as he has a reputation for being quite strict. _

"_You don't need to worry, Elena. My parents will love you." _

_I bite my lip, not particularly reassured by his statement. From what I've read about his dad as well as what I've heard from the Marines and officers at the base back in Nevada, Giuseppe Salvatore did not come across as an easy or accepting man. Besides, I'm just the girl who's been dating their son for a few weeks now and they don't know me oh my God panic panic panic._

Smooth Elena. Just keep panicking, that's right. Hot. I hate my inner monologue. Why do I have one? And I've succeeded in talking to myself and oh, Stefan's talking to me. Oops.

"_Sorry, what?" _

"_Take a deep breath and relax." He looks at me and encourages me to breathe with him. I inhale deeply and try to get my breathing to the same pace as his. _

_I finally work up my courage and say "Okay. Let's go. I can do this." _

_Just at that moment, a middle aged man opens the door. _

"_Stefan, my son! Come in." He gestures for us to enter, and we walk past him. _

_He opens his arms and hugs Stefan warmly for a bit before turning to me. _

"_Hello, Ms Gilbert, I presume?" He extends his hand to me and I shake it before replying._

"_Elena, please. It's nice to meet you mister Salvatore."_

_He looks at me for a few seconds and speaks again, "Elena, I just want to know one thing. What do you think of the fact my son is part of the Marines? Is that going to be a problem for you, because I don't wish for my son to start doubting his duties as a Marine because his girlfriend objects to it." _

_My eyes open wide, shocked. I stutter, "I a-a-assure you sir, I have no problem with his, uh, duties. I'm actually quite in awe of him and his commitment to them. And before you ask, no I'm not with him just so I can be a Marine's wife, I really care for your son. I don't plan on asking him to leave the Corps just because I'm slightly worried, it's his life and I don't actually think I even _could_ convince him to leave the Marines." My tone gets stronger towards the end, my initial shock at the question disappearing, slowly being replaced by a small amount of offense at the idea that I might try and convince Stefan to stop doing what he loves._

_His father seems to scrutinize me and then smiles, warmer than before. "Well then my dear, I'm very happy for you both. And you may call me Giuseppe."_

_I smile widely at him before looking around. _

Woah… This house is seriously nice…

_A beautiful, dark-haired woman with striking blue eyes walks out of what I believe is the living room. _

_She walks up to me slowly then says "Hello Elena, it's nice to meet you. Stefan has said nothing but good things about you. Please, come on in." She leads us in and the men follow us to the room she came from where we all sit down on a large black leather sofa._

"…ena? Elena?" Stefan waves his hand on front of my face.

I shake my head a little.

"Sorry Stefan, what were you saying?"

He laughs at me. "I was just saying good luck. My brother can be quite… surly. It isn't always easy to get stuff out of him and he can be quite closed off."

_Hmm._

"I'll be fine. I'm a tough reporter, remember?" I grin up at him as we stand outside Damon's office building. It's morning and Stefan is heading to the base for the next few weeks, though we'll stay in touch over the phone. While he's on his way back there, I'm going to be having the interview with Damon, then going home and typing up the notes.

"You're a good reporter but you've never met Damon."

I frown. _Surely, he isn't that bad? What seems to be the problem?_

Stefan smiles at me and kisses me quickly. "I'll talk to you later? I'll miss you."

I look up at him and smile. "Yes, and I'll miss you too. I'll let you know how it goes over the phone?"

Stefan nods at me and kisses me again. "Bye, Elena." He walks off and hails a taxi.

I wave goodbye to him and then turn around and look up at the impressive building Damon owns and works at.

I let out a deep breath. _Here goes, Elena._

I enter the building's massive foyer and head over to the receptionist.

"Can I help you, miss?" She asks, efficiently.

"I'm Elena Gilbert, and I'm here to see Damon Salvatore?"

She checks her computer before handing me a pass and pointing me towards the lifts on her right. Top floor, straight ahead once you exit the lift, his office is at the end.

"All right, thank you!"

"Have a nice day, Ms Gilbert."

I walk into the very fancy lifts, _Jeez, one of the wealthiest men in the world, I can see that, _and wait till I get to the top floor. The lift is almost full, a few people getting in and out on the way up.

When I arrive at the top floor, I follow the receptionist's directions.

_Does this building ever end? _

I walk towards his door and suddenly see who his secretary is.

"Caroline!" I call.

Caroline, who is apparently now Stefan's brother's secretary, also worked at the Tribune. She was actually my first friend there.

She looks up and smiles before getting up and hugging me.

"Hey Elena. How have you been? Are you the one interviewing Mr Salvatore then? I had no idea, they mentioned a reporter from the Tribune and I was curious cause I wondered if I knew who it was and wow, what are you talking to Mr Salvatore about?" She fires off at once.

"Slow down." I grin. "I've been good, and yes. I'm interviewing him about his brother, Stefan. I'm writing a story about the life of Marines when they're not at war and I need to talk to the family."

She gasps. "That's amazing! So The Terminator gave you your first big story then?"

"Yep."

"Congratulations! I am so happy for you!" She hugs me again.

The door opens behind her and what is possibly the hottest man imaginable walks out. _Holy crap, the magazines do not do this man justice. _He was just like his mother, ebony-haired with similar high cheekbones and stunning features. Standing at a good 6'2" I would guess, he would tower over me if we were standing right next to each other…

_Elena, snap out of it! You're dating his _brother_!_

"Caroline, let me know when the reporter gets here. I need to get to a meeting aft—" As he speaks, he starts to look up. My brown eyes meet his ice-blues eyes, also just like his mother's, and as much as I hate clichés, I swear something just clicked between us. He stops mid-sentence before blinking and walking over to me.

"Hello." He extends his hand, and I shake it.

"Hello. I'm the reporter. And as you can see, I'm here."

He grins. "Yes, I can see that. Nice to meet you. I'm Damon."

I raise an eyebrow. "Yes, I know. I'm here to interview you remember? And I'm dating your brother."

_Okay, so that last part was maybe a bit of a reminder for myself._

"Er, yes. Right." A frown appears on his forehead at my statement and he moves his right hand to run it through his hair. "Well, why don't you come in and we can get started?"

Caroline looks at him and smirks, making sure he can't see her.

"Of course. I'll talk to you later Caroline?" I turn my head towards her.

"Sure, I'll text you?" She winks.

I smile and walk past Stefan's brother into his office. I can just hear him saying something to Caroline about his meetings.

I stand in the middle of the room and look around. A window takes up the entire back wall of the room. His desk is just in front of it, modern and shiny… Like most things in the room. He has no photos anywhere though, which is odd, after what I've heard from Stefan about how close the family is with each other. I hear the door close and turn towards it.

"Please, have a seat Mrs Gilbert," He gestured towards a chair in front of his desk.

**Author's Note: **

**I am so sorry it took so long for me to update! I was in Spain for a week and preparing to go back to university **

**Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites! They all mean so much to me! **

**So… We've now sort of met Damon, ey? Stay tuned to see how the rest of the interview goes. And what's up with Maria? What else happened during that visit to make Elena feel wary of her? **

**Review! You'll get a Damon wink for it ;) But seriously, this is a work in progress and I appreciate feedback as I want to get better so tell me what I'm doing right, wrong and what you think will happen next!**


	5. Damon's Interview

**Disclaimer: ****I still do not own The Vampire Diaries. If I did, Damon would be naked or at least shirtless every episode. Sigh. What was I saying? Oh yeah, I don't own TVD but I do own an amazing recipe for apple tarts. **

**Thanks so much again for the reviews, favorites and follows! Every notification makes me so happy! I cannot tell you all how pleased I am that people like this story! In case you haven't read my profile, I have a Twitter and I post updates about when the next chapter will be posted so follow me **** My account is written in my bio. **

**This next chapter is dedicated to the lovely Leah. She is one of my best friends and as weird as me, which is a feat! She has always supported me and I am so grateful for her! Go Leah! **

I take a seat in front of Damon's desk and start taking my notepad and recorder out so I can take notes.

Damon sits down himself as I'm busy and leans back in his chair, crossing his arms, smirk on his face.

_And I thought Stefan's smirk was hot… Stop it Elena! _

I look down again, unwilling, _or unable, rather, _to keep looking at him.

"So, Mr Salvatore—" I start.

"Damon, please. Mr Salvatore is my father and I'm not him." Did I imagine it or did he just sneer? I can't tell as I'm still stubbornly focusing on the questions I have written down in my notebook.

I put a lock of hair that had escaped behind my ear again and continue as before, "So, _Damon_, your brother, Stefan, is a Marine. How often do you get to see him, with his demanding schedule?"

"I see Stefan a few times a year. Generally at Christmas or a bit during the summer."

My eyes widen. "But Stefan visits home more often than that, he doesn't spend all his time on base. I would know."

Damon leans his head down and smirks, which looks slightly cruel but still nice, _attractive_ in a way I doubt many could pull off.

"Steffie-boy visits when he decides to. It doesn't mean I'm there when he does. I rarely go over there."

_What the hell? If your brother rarely has time off to visit, wouldn't you want to take advantage of the time he _is_ there?_

I don't even realise I spoke out loud till Damon snorts. He's frowning slightly, his nose curled in what looks like distaste. "_Stefan_ is a martyr. He could visit the family more often but he chooses to live his life in a constant "what if" scenario. The life of a Marine is demanding and don't get me wrong, I have a huge amount of respect for the people willing to go through that. I however, don't see why my brother has to spend all his time there. He never sees our mother, which saddens her and I hate that. I don't see my brother. That isn't a coincidence, that is a _choice_ I have made."

I gasp. "Why don't you want to see your brother? What's he ever done?"

By this point, I've deviated completely from the questions in my notebook and the interview has become a bit of an interrogation instead of an interview. Now, I have to satisfy my own curiosity.

Damon looks at me and sits in silence for a bit until he _finally_ opens his mouth, "Stefan seems perfect on the outside. He's a Marine, dedicated to his job, caring and one of the kindest you have ever met. But he's been trained to be that, it's not natural. He stays on base for longer than he has to out of duty, but duty is a form of obligation. He doesn't have any free will. He's a pawn on the big chessboard of life and he doesn't even know it."

_Stefan seems to have been wrong when he said it would be hard to get something out of Damon. _

"So you're saying the fact he's extremely patriotic is a bad thing?" I'm confused, I would think that being willing to give up so much for the better good is a good thing, not an apparent crime.

"There's patriotic and then there's groomed. Stefan has been considered the saint of the family ever since he decided to follow in our father's footsteps and sign up. He's not a bad person, just… naïve."

He blinks. "But enough on that, you must have more questions."

I shake my head, still bewildered and confused as to what has made Damon think like this.

_I need to find out why Damon thinks of Stefan as a dog that's been through obedience school instead of a man putting others before himself. _

"Had you ever considered joining the Marines yourself? Or was that just Stefan?"

"That was just Stefan." Damon seems to close up right in front of me, his jaw setting and his eyes becoming the colour of frost.

"Could you tell me why?" I press.

"I could… but I'd rather not. Some secrets are my own. I'm an important and well known man, I don't want everyone in the world to know them."

"Fair enough. Would you tell me off the record?" Worth a shot.

He leers at me slightly. "Now, Miss Gilbert, why would I ever do that? You'll just have to get to know me better before I tell you anything that personal."

I fume and if this were a cartoon, enough steam would be coming out my ears to power a train.

"First of all, _Mr Salvatore_, I'm not some cheap piece of trash you can screw and throw away. Second, I'm a reporter and a damn good one, I don't need to sleep with people to get my information. Third and lastly, _I am dating your brother!_" I get up and walk out of the room.

Caroline is gone and when I check my watch, I see it's past lunchtime.

_Wow, I was in there for an hour? Felt like minutes._

I head towards the elevator and hope I can use some of the stuff Damon said in my article or at least find a way to work around the lack of information and write more about Stefan.

I hear Damon curse and jog after me. He catches up with me just as the doors to the elevator close, and suddenly we're alone again. Only this time, I can't walk away.

"I'm sorry Miss Gilbert, I didn't mean it like that. I just… I don't like talking about personal stuff and when I have to, I get defensive. Surely Stefan told you this."

"He did. He didn't, however, tell me you were going to try to hit on me even though I'm with someone else and act like a complete jackass. I know you're one of the richest bachelors or whatever and you're never seen without a woman on your arm, but that means nothing to me."

Damon sighs. "I'm really sorry. Look, it's not easy. Stefan seems to have it easy and he's loved by everyone right? I'm kind of like… the black sheep of the family. The flirting is a defense mechanism. I don't know why but you got me to say more about _me_ than anyone else."

I look up at him, shrewdly.

"You're absolutely beautiful don't get me wrong but I'm not usually like this. What the tabloids say, about me having all those girls? That's not me. They've all been friends or girls I was dating casually. I'm not a womaniser or anything. You have a name associated to wealth and a reputation as one of the world's richest bachelors, and suddenly you're linked to loads of women. And I'm still talking. Look, just, I'm sorry. Can I at least buy you coffee and make it up to you? I want to make things right. And then we can finish the interview? Please?"

_Oh God, he has puppy dog eyes. This is just not fair._

I sigh. "One cup of coffee, but _one more move_ and I'm gone. You're my boyfriend's brother, I'd rather be civil, but that doesn't mean I'll accept you hitting on me just cause you feel defensive."

He smiles, surprised. "Really, I won't do that again. And I don't think I've ever said 'I'm sorry' that often… ever," he chuckles.

I smile. "Okay. I trust you. I don't know why but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

He looks into my eyes.

_Swoon. Oh, shut up._

"You're a really _good_ person Miss Gilbert, you know that?"

"No, I'm not. But I don't like holding grudges. And call me Elena, if we're going to be talking to each other and I'm dating your brother, you can at least call me be my first name."

His eyes soften a little, if I'm not mistaken. "Thank you… Elena."

We stare at each other until the doors open. He looks towards the lobby and turns to me again. "Shall we go have that coffee now?"

He never seems to stop surprising me. "What, now?"

"No time like the present." He chuckles. "Besides, I want to make it up to you."

I smile involuntarily. "Okay."

We walk out of the elevator and head towards the doors of the lobby.

He calls to the receptionist, "Lizzie, hold my calls and cancel my meetings. I'm taking the rest of the day off."

She looks shocked and stutters back "Y-y-yes, sir. R-r-right away."

I look at Damon. "Why does she look so shocked?"

"Well, Elena, I've never taken a day off."

My jaw drops. "Never?!"

"Never. But I can make an exception. I am, after all, the boss." He winks at me. "Shall we go?"

"Sure." _Who is this man? I need to know… _

**A/N: **

**Well… There you go. Their first interview. A bit of a disaster but now they have a chance to get to know each other better and Damon can try and make up for his attitude. Also, why was he so defensive and why doesn't he approve of Stefan? Why is there tension between him and his dad? We will find out later, but let me know what you think!**

**Please review… Pretty please? Damon please? Reviews help me improve! :D**


	6. To the Coffeehouse

**Disclaimer: I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. *Sobs a little* I do own a furry pencil case though. Yay, pens! **

**This chapter is for Lucy, one of my favourite people ever and my "twin". **

**I hope you enjoy! Read the A/N at the end! **

We head out of Damon's building and as I start heading towards the Starbucks across the street, Damon grabs my arm gently and pulls me back. I stare at him, surprised.

He smiles at me and says, while seemingly playing with his phone, "I know a great place, just let me get my driver to pull up with the car."

I raise an eyebrow. "How fancy is this place you plan on going?"

"Oh it's not fancy but it does make the best coffee in Chicago." He grins at me.

I look at him, blinking.

_What is with this man? _

"Okay, I'll go but don't think that wealth impresses me at all. First sign of a chandelier and I'm out of there faster than Speedy Gonzales on caffeine."

His eyes widen and he breaks out in laughter which lasts a good full minute. He shakes his head and refocuses on me.

"Of course. I promise, the first chandelier you see and you can feel free to leave. Elena, you are truly amazing. You know that?"

I blush. _Well, that's a first. _

"Can we just go already? I also need o write up my notes from our 'interview', however brief it might end up being." Just as I finish speaking, a sleek black car pulls up in front of us.

A man steps up to Damon and hands him the keys, "Here you go Mr Salvatore."

He bows a little to me and walks into the building.

"Thank you, Matt." Damon calls after him.

_I guess that's what he was doing with his phone earlier._

He opens the door for me and gestures for me to enter, "Après vous, mademoiselle." He speaks in perfect French.

I get into passenger seat of the car, admittedly in a slight daze. Damon closes the door behind me and crosses over to the driver's side and gets in.

He starts the car and heads out into the traffic. I shake myself out of my stupor and turn towards him.

"So, where are we going?" I ask.

He's driving quite fast but through that, it still seems like he has a great handle on the road, like he's being… careful.

"I know a place—"

"Yes, we established that." I snarked with a small smile.

He looks at me from the corner of his eye and smirks before responding, "Yes, that we did. However, I shall continue and say that I know a place which has amazing views and is generally quiet at this time of day. I go there when I need to think and spend some time alone." He raises his right arm and runs his hand through his hair, as he did earlier.

_I wonder if that's maybe a nervous twitch he's developed over the years? _

I hear Damon sigh softly and I turn to look at him. He's staring out the windscreen and seems to be slightly lost in thought. It's an interesting picture as he is still in his suit, though he has loosened his tie.

We lapse into a surprisingly comfortable silence. Often, I feel the need to fill the silence as it can start to feel uncomfortable but being here, in Damon's presence doesn't feel like that at all. It's like we don't need to talk, we can just… be.

He navigates fluidly through the busy streets of Chicago until we end up parking across the street from what I presume is our destination, a shop called "Lexi's", which has a sign out front advertising decent and affordable cups of coffee.

Damon and I get out of the car and he turns to me, smiling.

"Shall we?" He offers his arm to me, and I take it.

"We shall." I smile back.

He seems to no longer be the annoying and presumptuous playboy I took him for earlier, when he propositioned me. Stefan was right insofar as he doesn't like to say much, but I would like to know if that's out of choice as a way of protecting himself or if he just doesn't feel the need to say things just for the sake of it.

"So, Elena, ready for the best coffee experience of your life?" He grins at me, excited. The way he looks right now reminds me of a young boy about to enter a toy shop.

_He's adorable like this. Oh joy, you're back. Thank you, inner monologue. I need to be committed._

He holds the door open for me and suddenly I hear a scream come from the back of the room.

"Damon! You ass, where the hell have you been?!"

A tall, blonde woman stomps over towards us but Damon seems unfazed.

"Hey, Lexi. How've you been?" He asks, calmly.

She reaches us, puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes at him, "Don't give me that, Salvatore. It's been at least a month since you've come here. Not even a quick hello. What the hell?"

He just chuckles in response, "Well, I'm here now and you can thank Elena here for that." He says, making a small gesture towards me with the arm mine is still intertwined with.

Lexi turns towards me and seems to soften a little. But only a little.

"Well, thank you Elena, then. You see, Damon here has the ability to just kind of vanish and ignore-"

"Hey, I didn't ignore you!'

"_Ignore_ his friends. I haven't seen him in ages. But anyway, enough about that, how do you know Salvatore, here? Are you two dating?"

_Why does she seem so excited at the prospect? And why did I just feel a twinge of happiness at the idea of us being together? _

"Um, no. We're not dating. I'm actually dating his brother."

She blinks. "Stefan? His brother? _Stefan__?_"

"That's the one. Damon and I are here to finish the interview we were supposed to have earlier."

"Interview?" She tilts her head. "What interview?"

"I'm a reporter and I'm writing a story about Marines and their life on base. Stefan is the Marine I was interviewing, and I have to interview the rest of his family and see what his life as a Marine has as an impact on them."

"Wait, so you're dating the guy you're interviewing?" She looks sceptical.

"Yes, we started dating shortly after meeting and he is now spending time on base here in Chicago. He moved from Nevada with me." I explain.

She looks between Damon and I, and Damon just remains silent throughout the explanation.

"Right. Well, okay then. Um, come on, let's get you two a table so you can finish the, uh, interview." She leads us towards a small table in the back of the small but cozy room, away from the three other customers in here.

We sit down and I look around the place. We're seated at the far end of the room which is filled with about fifteen tables and a small counter with a menu on the wall behind it.

The rooms are painted a nice shade of beige and the tables are all a dark cherry brown. There's a fireplace behind me, facing Damon. It's a lovely coffeehouse and I can imagine myself coming back here.

Lexi takes our orders and then leaves us.

"So, Elena, shall we finish our interview?"

I look back at him and smile. "Yes, let's."

**A/N: Sorry this took so long but I just got back to university and have been meeting up with people and internet still hasn't been installed where I'm staying. Ugh. BUT HERE IS THE CHAPTER!**

**As always, let me know what you thought so PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Thank you to everyone, this fic has become quite popular, so I am really grateful to anyone who recommended it or just happened to find and read it! I am so happy **** HUGS**

**This chapter is a bit of a filler, I'm sorry but now we've met Lexi and Damon and Elena can have their interview! The next chapter will be posted as soon as I've written it but I start my course again next week so I'll do my best to try and stick to an update every week. Again, follow me on Twitter to keep updated! **


	7. The Conversation That Starts It All

**I am so sorry for how long this has taken! It's been hectic getting used to lectures and stuff again! Anyway, I've tried to make this longer to make up for it **** AND THERE ARE SO MANY VIEWS NOW! Thank you all so much! Every extra view, favorite and follow makes me so happy! **

**Disclaimer: OH MY GOD THE DELENA IN THE SEASON 5 PREMIERE WAS AMAZING. I AM SO HAPPY. I've decided to dedicate each chapter to someone from now on. This one is dedicated to someone who asked me for the link to this so he could read it, and who gave me an amazing bracelet that I do own, unlike The Vampire Diaries. I still do not own that. Forgive me while I excuse myself to go into a corner and weep. Thank you to my best friend and one of my favourite people since I was only 3: Kevin, thank you so much for being willing to take the time to read this story that is so not your thing. I apologise for the time you had to spend reading this ;)**

"So, Damon, did you ever consider joining the Marines like your brother?" I ask, and take a sip of coffee.

_Coffeegasm. I am never drinking coffee anywhere else ever again._

Damon can read my thoughts as I close my eyes in satisfaction. "Did I deliver on my promise of good coffee, Elena?"

When I lower the cup to glare at him, albeit with no heat, he chuckles.

"No need to reply, I can guess what your answer is."

"I'm glad," I scoff, "but could you give me your answer to _my_ question?"

He sighs slightly. "I answered this before, back at my office. I'll answer it again but I'll be honest this time, to show you I was honestly sorry about before. Yes, I considered joining. But as you know, I decided to go into business so I find it irrelevant."

"How old were you when you started up your company?"

"I was 22."

I'm pretty sure I'm gaping a little at him. "22? But that's so young!"

"Yes, well, I knew what I wanted and I made sure I got it. I was raised to know what to want from life, despite it not being what… the rest of the family wanted." He looks at me evenly, his face betraying nothing.

_He's good at keeping his emotions on lockdown. What is he hiding?_

Lexi comes over then and I startle, not having heard her coming, being too absorbed in trying to 'read' Damon. "Need anything guys?"

We both look up at her. "Uhh, no thanks," I respond.

She nods a bit and looks at Damon. "Could I get a slice of your chocolate cake, please Lex?" He smiles politely at her.

"Sure." She walks away and soon returns with a slice of the most delicious looking cake I have ever seen.

Damon looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "I can share."

I don't even look away from the slice of temptation heading our way and reply simply, "You'd better."

Lexi hears our interaction and smiles. "My own recipe. I can guarantee it's amazing." She winks, takes another look at us and leaves, going back behind the counter of the bar.

Damon offers me a bite of the cake on his fork, lifting it up towards me. I lean forward and take it into my mouth.

_Oh. My. God._

"This is the best tasting thing I have ever had the chance to put in my mouth." I groan, loudly.

Damon erupts into laughter. I open my eyes and look at him. He looks like a mixture between adorable and insanely attractive.

"Laugh it up Salvatore." His laughter slowly dies down, a few last chuckles escape him as he focuses on me again and sits up properly.

"Sorry, but your reaction was one of the best things I have ever seen. Back to the interview?" He pushes the slice of cake towards me after taking a few quick bites. "Want the rest?"

I don't even hesitate. "Yes and gimme."

I finish the slice quickly and wipe my mouth. "Um. Give me a moment."

I try to escape the haze of amazingness that was that cake and flick through my notes. "Yes, right, have you ever been to the Nevada base Stefan was staying at?"

"Yes. I have." He nods curtly.

"Were you visiting your brother?" I ask, pen poised over the paper.

"No, I was there for… personal reasons. I'm sorry, I'd rather not explain." He seems uncomfortable so I leave the line of inquiry there.

"Okay, what did you do during the time between you finishing high school at 18 and starting a business at 22?"

"Ah, ah, now every man has to have his secrets, no?" He winks at me.

_But you have more than anyone I have ever known. There are so many questions I have and I don't have a right to the answers of any of them. I wish I wasn't so curious… But then again, I wouldn't be a journalist and I wouldn't have met Damon. _Stefan_ I mean, _Stefan_! I wouldn't have met Stefan._

"Okay, fine. You can keep your secrets today. I'll find them out someday, though." I assure him, with a light smile.

He stares at me and replies, "Oh, I'm sure you will. I just hope you don't run."

I blink. _Okay, what did that even mean?_

"What music do you like?" He asks.

"Uh, I'm not picky. I'll listen to anything but lately, I've been listening to Hoobastank's 'The Reason'. It's been on repeat on my MP3 player, I have to admit."

He grins, takes something out of his pocket and shows it to me. It's a small, blue MP3 player and when he shows me the song it was paused on, it was the one I just mentioned. I grin back at him.

"Well, I like your taste in music, that's for sure." I state.

"So what else do you listen to, Elena?"

After that comment, we keep talking until Lexi comes over again.

"Guys, I'm actually closing now, I'm afraid." I look out of the window and gasp. It's dark out which means that we've been in here for at least six hours. Time passes so fast when I'm with Damon.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! We'll get going."

Lexi just smiles at me, "It's no problem, Elena. Don't worry. Please come back soon?"

"I definitely will, as long as you have chocolate cake." I say, cheekily.

She laughs and replies, "I'll make sure I always have some in stock then."

Damon helps me out of my seat and I head towards the door. When I don't feel Damon following, I look back and I see him and Lexi talking in hushes voices and staring at each other like they're in a staring competition.

I decide not to intervene and wait until Damon comes over, his and Lexi's 'argument' apparently over.

"Would you like a ride home, Elena?"

"That's be great thanks, if it's not too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. I'd be more than happy to, I'd also be happier knowing you're safe."

I thank him and we head out to his car. I turn and wave at Lexi who returns the gesture.

He opens my door for me and gets in after. "Where to, milady?"

I give him my address and he turns out into the traffic.

"I'm sorry that took so long, I didn't mean for it to."

He looks at me briefly, "It's fine. More than fine, actually. That was more fun than I've had since… for a while."

"I'm… glad?" I tilt my head.

He smiles out of the corner of his mouth. We drive in what is mostly silence, a few words exchanged here and there.

When he gets to my house, I face him. "Thank you Damon, for opening up to me and for showing me where I can get a really good cup of coffee and food. I had fun."

"You're very welcome. I hope I've made up for my earlier behaviour, back at the office?" He asks, hopefully.

"Yes, you did." I assure him.

"Right, well, goodnight, Elena." He leans towards me.

_Oh, what is he doing?_

He places a soft kiss on my cheek and then moves back to his side of the car. "I'll see you soon, maybe?"

"Umm, I-uh," _Smooth, "Yeah. Soon, maybe. Goodnight._"

I get out of the car and walk up to the front door. As I unlock it, I look back and he finally turns the engine on and backs out.

_Well. That was interesting. I hope I see him again. There's a lot I want to learn about him._

I get through the door, place my stuff down on the chair closest to it after taking out my notes and recordings and walk into the living room, where I collapse on the sofa.

After a minute or two, _or ten_, to gather my bearings, I start to organise my notes and type up what I have so I can finish the article.

The phone rings and I pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey." Stefan's voice replies.

"Hi. How are you?"

"I'm good. I'm actually coming back soon for a few days."

"Oh, great!" Is that disappointment I feel? Why?

"Yeah. Anyway, how was it with Damon, did he give you anything to work with or was he his usual uncooperative self?"

I felt a bit of annoyance at his comment. Why did he have to say bad stuff about his brother? I'm even more annoyed with him than I was with Damon when he was saying bad stuff about Stefan, which I know makes no sense. What is wrong with me?

"It was fine. He's quite nice."

"Uh huh. Don't let him fool you, Elena. He can seem nice but there's a lot you don't know about him."

_Tell me something I _don't_ know, why don't you?_

"Yeah, okay. When are you coming back?" I change the subject. "In about a week, on the seventh."

I look at the calendar. It's the third today. "Great. I have to type up my notes now. I'll talk to you soon?"

"Yeah, okay. Goodnight, Elena. I love you."

"Yeah… me too." I hang up.

I shake my head and get back to work. This article won't write itself.

**A/N: SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT! I did not mean for it to take this long! Anway, yes! So, Damon and Elena seem to be getting along quite well and it seems Stefan's coming back for a bit. Not long, don't worry! Next chapter is when it starts getting interesting, would you believe it **

**Please let me know what you thought! I love reviews and I love to know what people think of my story, how it could be improved and what you liked! So any feedback is appreciated! **

**I'll try and update quicker next time, I already have an outline of what's going to happen next chapter so hopefully that should speed things up! Till next time! **


	8. It seemed like such a normal day

**Disclaimer: I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. Sigh. I do own an awesome locket of Peter Pan though! So that's something…**

**Sorry this took so long but it was a hard chapter to write and I think you'll understand why when you read it… I hope you all enjoy! **

It's now the tenth of the month and that means it's been a week since I've seen Damon. Honestly though, it doesn't feel like it. Stefan came back three days ago and we've been trying to spend time together since then.

Right now, he's sitting on the sofa while I speak to Carol on the phone.

"So can you get the article in by today, Elena?"

"Yes, I'm sending it to you right now." I say as I click the 'Send' button on my computer.

I hear her hum, "Hmm, yes I got it. It looks good, at first glance. I'll let you know if there are any changes that need to be done or if there's anything you need to add. How are you, Elena? Did you enjoy your first proper job?"

I sigh and lean back against the chair I've been sitting on for the past two hours since I started working on the final draft of my article, needing it to be absolutely perfect so that Carol knows she was right to give me a chance. And maybe to encourage her to give me more stories. Just maybe.

"I enjoyed it. A lot. And as you know, I got a lot out of it. It's harder than I imagined it would be though. Not that I expected it to be easy," I hastened to add, "but still… it was hard."

My mind unwillingly drifts back to Damon. I've thought of him now and again over the past few days but between writing the article and Stefan's return, this is the first time I've really thought about him. I kind of… miss him. I know I shouldn't but I do. I'm sure if I see him again, he won't be as _intense_ as I remember him being.

_Yeah. I'm just intrigued about him, that's all. It's a reporter's job to be curious. _

"Elena?"

I shake my head. "Sorry Carol, yes?"

With what I'm sure is a smirk on her face, she repeats herself, "I asked you if you thought it was worth it?"

"Oh yes, definitely worth it." My gaze drifts to Stefan, who's laughing at something he sees on the tv.

I look back at my computer.

"Well, good. Because if this article is good, you'll be given more. If I like it, I might just give you a few more chances. Give you the opportunity to prove you can be a great reporter."

I gasp.

_Is she serious right now? After one article?_

She laughs, something I don't think I've ever heard before. "Yes, after one article."

I blush. Did I actually just speak out loud? "Uh, well, I, uh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

_Eloquent. Buzz off internal monologue, better known as internal demon from hell._

"Hey, if you didn't have any talent, I would have no use for you and I wouldn't have employed you. Consider yourself lucky and make sure you keep up with the talent and we'll be fine."

_Aaaaand there's the Carol I remember._

"Well, thank you anyway. I'll try my best. I really am glad you gave me this opportunity. You have no idea."

_I wonder if Daddy would be proud. _

"I have to go, Elena, thank you for the article and I'll let you know if I need anything else. Enjoy your day off."

"Thank you." I had the day off as Carol wanted me to have a day to complete the article comfortably so it was the best it could be. And to be perfectly honest, having a Monday off is something I am very grateful for.

We hang up and I head into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. I hear Stefan get off the couch and walk up behind me before I feel him wrap his arms around me.

"Hey. Everything ok?" He asks, leaning his head on mine.

I nod, taking a drink from my glass before putting it down on the counter, turning around in his arms and wrapping my own around him.

After a short while, I pull away and head to the fridge so I can get started on dinner. Stefan leans against the counter next to where I'm cutting up vegetables for a stir-fry.

After spending a few minutes in what feels a bit like awkward silence, he speaks up. "Ley?" He calls me, his own nickname for me.

_I'm still unsure about it._

"Yeah, Stefan?" I ask him.

"Are you all right? You've been quiet since I've been back. Have I done something wrong?" He sounds unsure, hesitant.

I turn to look at him and his expression matches his tone.

I shake my head. "No, it's not you. I just,-" I cut off, trying to find the words to explain myself.

_Yeah, sorry Stefan, I've just been spending the few days you can spend with me tired and irritable cause I have an article to hand in and a million things on my mind, one of those things being your brother who you seem to have a real problem with._

What I say instead is "Sorry. I know I seem off. It's just the article, you know. I need it to be amazing and I don't know if it's good enough."

He nods, seemingly content with my explanation. "I'm sure it's great Elena. You're a great reporter and I know your boss will see that. It'll be fine. She wouldn't have given you the chance otherwise." He mirrors what I've been trying to repeat to myself for days. He smiles at me and kisses my cheek. "Is that all?"

_No._

"Yes."

He pats my hand, still holding the knife I was using to chop food with until he distracted me. I resume my previous activity as he walks back into the living room and I hear the sound of the couch cushion being sat on again.

I mull over everything that's happened recently while I finish cooking, call Stefan in when I'm done and we eat while making small talk.

Carol calls me back later as we lie in bed, reading.

"Elena, your article was great. I'm really impressed. How about another story soon?"

"Really?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes. It was of a really excellent standard and I'm very happy with it. You have proven I was right to give you the story. We're printing it next week. So, you up for another piece?"

I find myself nodding then remember she can't actually _see_ me over the phone.

_Duh, Elena._

"Yeah, yes, definitely, I'd really like that!"

"Okay then. Talk to you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

If anyone asks, I did not just squeal.

_You totally squealed._

Eh hem.

"Stefan, she liked my article!" I tell him, excitedly.

"Congratulations! I told you it would be fine!" He turns and smiles at me from the other side of the bed.

We put our books down and he turns off the light before lying down.

We get comfortable, me facing the side of the room and looking out of the window with him laying his arm over me.

"Good night, Elena."

"Night, Stefan."

We both fall asleep quickly and it doesn't seem like too long after when the alarm wakes us up at five.

He stays home and I head off to work.

I eat a banana at my desk and suddenly hear a massive commotion going on in the media rooms after a while of working.

"Oh my God!"

I head over to see what's going on and on the screens, I see one of the World Trade Centres has a fire in its top levels.

_Oh, my God. What's happening?! _

Reports are saying that a plane has flown into the WTC and that it's blown up. People are being evacuated but there's debris falling and a fire going on as well. There's flames everywhere and screams over the television sets.

Everyone stays where they are before a few go and rush to their phones to place calls. I know there are a few people here who have family in New York.

I run to my phone and call Stefan, keeping an eye on the screens.

"Elena?" He sounds relatively calm. He must still be in bed or eating breakfast.

"Stefan! Turn on the tv NOW! Check the news!"

"What's going on, Elena?" I hear the television screen being turned on then a low "Oh my God…"

_Seems like that's all everyone can say now._

"Elena, I need to call my boss! I'll call you back later. Are you alright?" He asks, hurriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a bit in shock." I reply in the same tone.

"Good. I'll call you back later when I've spoken to my superiors."

"Okay." My voice shakes as we hang up.

Suddenly another plane hits the second tower.

I raise my hands and cover my mouth. Everyone seems to be rooted to their place in shock or moving around rapidly, like headless chickens, seemingly trying to do _something_. Every single person in the office feels powerless and confused as to what's going on.

_Is this really happening?_

**A/N: Yeah. My first (sort of) cliffhanger! Very intense chapter and now you see why I was all odd about the date. This chapter is the start of the major events of the story. **

**Please review, I was very nervous about this chapter and how it was going to turn out so I'd love it if you could tell me what you thought! Free Damon hug for all reviewers. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I am so grateful to you all! **** This story seems to be quite liked so thanks to anyone who's been recommending it, favoriting it and following it! Please tell people about it or link it as the more people see it, the more chance I have at getting feedback :) I will give teasers/hints to people who review ;)**

**Stay tuned to see what happens next! Till next time…**

**~xxEternityxx.**


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